Somewhat familiar, it seems I’ve seen such an arrow somewhere before.

Without thinking further, Lin Miao suddenly caught a familiar scent — a secret spice he used for grilling meats. He knew very well that Mr. Xie enjoyed grilled meats and always carried a pack of this spice with him. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

This spice was exclusively made by Lin Miao, so even though the scent was faint, he could still detect it.

Judging from the spice powder residue on the ground, Lin Miao roughly deduced the scattering range of Mr. Xie. If it was to leave a clue, it wouldn’t have been spread like this. It seemed he was ambushed, scattered the spice to confuse the enemies, and took the opportunity to escape...

This indicated that Mr. Xie encountered quite a few enemies, and most of them were on horseback. Could they be people from Marquis Lingyang’s place?

Why were they pursuing Mr. Xie?

Lin Miao mounted his horse and identified a direction. Mr. Xie indeed left him a clue, guiding him to pursue in a marked direction.

...

Inside the manor.

A carrier pigeon flew over from the direction of Dongshan City, landed on the dovecote, cooing.

A disciple from the Green Blade Sect quickly ran over, grabbed the pigeon, took off a bamboo tube from its claw, and hurried to the main hall to see Ye Mi Yuan and the others.

Du Heng was the first to get the message tube. He took out the note inside, glanced at it, and then handed it to Ye Mi Yuan.

Ye Mi Yuan took a look and then passed the note to Huang Baigao.

"The Convenient Medical Diagnosis Point at Xiuyue Square is closed today. It seems that this Lin surname must have left the city," analyzed Ye Mi Yuan.

"Isn’t that an opportunity?" Huang Baigao said with joy. The Huang Family lost so many people over a Sun Family’s Herbal Hall, and now they’ve neither got the land deed nor the house deed. Whether or not Lin Miao killed the Huang Family’s people, this account will be settled with him.

Huang Baigao had long wanted to kill him quickly.

"If it’s just him alone, it would be easy. But if the Snow Mountain Sect sent experts with him, it’ll be difficult," Du Heng agreed. The Snow Mountain Sect is an overwhelmingly powerful sect compared to the Green Blade Sect. Even though the Green Blade Sect has ambitions to surpass, they dare not challenge them for now.

If the Snow Mountain Sect is provoked, the Green Blade Sect, without masters at the Tian Yuan level, would be hard-pressed to contend with them.

"So, is he alone or with people from the Snow Mountain Sect?"

"No news yet, but we have people at the city gates. Once they see him leaving the city, they’ll definitely relay the message!" Du Heng said.

"What do we do now?"

"Wait. Meanwhile, set traps and mechanisms along the way. Mr. Huang, your people are archers, suitable for long-distance attacks. They can take up elevated positions in the manor to observe and warn, or if necessary, shoot from afar. The Green Blade Sect’s men can ambush in the backyard. If Lin Miao comes to rescue Mr. Xie, he will definitely go to the backyard, and we can catch him like a turtle in a jar!" Ye Mi Yuan assigned the tasks.

"Agreed, but leave that boy named Ye for me to kill!" Huang Baigao demanded.

Ye Mi Yuan glanced at Du Heng, and they nodded to each other. Anyway, it was killing, there was no need to fuss over such a trivial matter.

...

After a night of interrogation, Mr. Xie still said the same things. Anyway, Huang Baichuan and Huang Yulang were dead, and he insisted he hadn’t encountered them.

How the Huang Family people died, he didn’t see it. Maybe they took a wrong turn and met with an accident, anyway, he didn’t know.

Since they had no evidence, he would never admit it. Having roamed the jianghu for so many years, he understood that keeping silent could mean a sliver of hope for survival.

Admitting would mean certain death, just a matter of surviving a bit longer.

So no matter what cruel methods Ye Mi Yuan used on him, he gritted his teeth and refused to speak. He also knew Ye Mi Yuan, the Green Blade Sect, and the Huang Family were targeting Lin Miao. They wanted to get that answer from his mouth.

Then use him to accuse Lin Miao.

Once they used him, his value would end, and they would not let him go, they would definitely take his life.

"Mr. Xie, why? For someone unrelated, as long as you tell us about Lin Miao killing the Huang Family people, we would give you a chance to live..."

"Ye Mi Yuan, not speaking, I didn’t see my master kill anyone. Even if I really saw it, would you let me live if I told?" Mr. Xie spat, his eyes beaten so swollen they were just slits.

"Mr. Xie, do you really think I won’t dare to kill you?"

"Go ahead, kill me. You’re a government official privately setting up a torture chamber, abusing your power, and even trying to silence me..."

"Bastard!" Ye Mi Yuan erupted in anger, grabbing a red-hot branding iron and pressing it directly onto Mr. Xie’s thigh!

"Ah!"

A blood-curdling scream came from Mr. Xie’s mouth.

The nauseating stench of burnt flesh filled the room, causing two Green Blade Sect disciples to cover their mouths and run out.

"Mr. Xie, will you speak or not?"

"Pah, if you have the guts, kill me. Eighteen years later, your grandpa Xie will still be a hero!" Mr. Xie spat onto Ye Mi Yuan.

"How dare you curse!" Ye Mi Yuan grabbed a bucket of cold water, threw in a large handful of salt, stirred it with a wooden stick, then poured it over Mr. Xie’s head.

"Ye Mi Yuan, damn your ancestors for eight generations, your Ye Family has no good people..." Mr. Xie began to shiver all over, letting out continuous screams. His whole body was full of wounds, and the salt water was more unbearable than torture!

Infuriated by the curses, Ye Mi Yuan pulled over a wooden stick, slammed down hard, and with a "crack," Mr. Xie’s left shin was broken.

Unsatisfied with just one, Ye Mi Yuan went over and broke his right shin as well.

Mr. Xie finally passed out from the pain.

"Wake this guy up, he can’t die now!" Ye Mi Yuan tossed the stick aside, spat a curse, and instructed his men.

...

Buzz buzz!

Lin Miao continued the pursuit and suddenly, a pigeon flew above him. He had keen eyesight, noting that it was not a wild pigeon but a raised carrier pigeon, with a small bamboo tube tied to its leg.

Though he didn’t have a bow, he did have half an arrow.

With a flick of his hand, the half arrow shot into the sky, and the pigeon, not having flown far, fell headfirst.

Quickly stepping forward, he picked up the pigeon and took out the note inside the bamboo tube tied to its leg. Opening it, he found it contained information about himself. It truly was, "Search high and low, only to find it effortlessly."